Review // One by One by Ruth Ware
One by One
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Gallery / Scout Press
September 8, 2020
Digital
384
Edelweiss/Publisher
Content Note: Descriptive death.
Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?
When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?
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In one remote ski chalet, cut off by the avalanche, a “house of horror” situation was unfolding.
Ruth Ware’s latest novel, One by One, starts quietly. Snoop, a company traveling for a collaborative retreat, does not bring sound minds together; ultimately, they begin to fall, one by one. Another slamdunk whodunit for Ware that is positively going to keep readers turning the page.
I’m a huge Ruth Ware fan. Her novels carry a style similar to Agatha Christie and encourage a drive in me that will not allow me to put her books down, especially this one. Literally, it took my family to bring me out of my Ware haze as I was simply deeply engaged in reading. I almost devoured within one day!
One by One introduces readers to an ensemble cast of characters. I was concerned with the number of characters that one would get lost in the development. Not at all. Not all of the characters have deep backstories that are detailed within the book, but I was grateful that each character still played their part. Ware was specific with the role each would play and together they made the story come to life.
Ware’s writing style has always been a favorite of mine. Typically, not a huge fan of chapters that jump between character views, Ware wins at this style. The flow of reading her writing is never clunky. I’m never lost in trying to figure out what I’ve just read or what is happening. There are some writers that just don’t succeed with this style, but Ruth Ware always shines bright.
The twist with One by One is that I realized whodunit (and so will you) earlier than a typical Ware read. Based on the continuing story, it is intentional. There is a bit of cat-and-mouse that happens and as I read, I was trying to figure out how does one getaway? I will admit that I was caught between two possible murderers. I have a feeling several readers will conjure up the same outcome I did for a bit while reading.
One by One was definitely one of my top Ruth Ware books. I was engaged completely and I wanted to follow through to the very end. I felt a huge need to know the ending! For fans of Ruth Ware, it is a must! For fans of suspense, in general, you definitely should give Ruth Ware’s latest a try, if you’ve never read any of her books.
Author photograph © Gemma Day Photography
Ruth Ware worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language, and a press officer before settling down as a full-time writer. She now lives with her family in Sussex, on the south coast of England. She is the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail (Toronto) bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs. Westaway, and The Turn of the Key.
Visit her at RuthWare.com or follow her on Twitter @RuthWareWriter.
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